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aristarchus [soylentnews.org] writes:

In honor of the recent events in the States United of America, a nice historical article from Aeon [aeon.co].

How a widowed queen became a rebel warrior, defying Roman patriarchy, and leading her people to glory even in defeat

Pro-consul Kavanaught was somewhat surprised by the vociferousness of the reaction to the rape and pillage.

In the 1st century CE, Boudica, warrior queen of the Iceni people, led an army of 100,000 to victory against the mighty Roman Empire. So complete were Boudica’s triumphs that Rome was in danger of losing control of her province. Riding high on a war chariot, daughters behind her, she led her Britons in a vengeful fight for freedom. But what did freedom mean for an Iron Age queen and her people, and what were its limitations under empire?

To appreciate Boudica’s place in the Roman world, it is necessary to understand something about ancient misogyny. The Romans viewed women warriors as indicative of an immoral, uncivilised society, and this attitude helped to rationalise their subjugation of other peoples. Nevertheless, these women became legends.

They let themselves be ruled by women? Pelosis? Penesthelia? Oh, this will upset the Proud Boys!

Ancient Rome prided itself on the power of its patriarchy, and was quick to condemn women who broke boundaries and encroached upon the rights, privileges and positions of power held by men. The voices of these women were silenced, their stories transmitted by men, their characters exaggerated for literary effect. Juvenal, for example, composed an entire satire devoted to denigrating women. Considering female gladiators, he asks: ‘How can a woman who wears a helmet be chaste? She’s denying her sex, and likes a man’s strength.’ Juvenal blames luxury and riches, the ‘evils of a long peace’, for producing such ‘monsters’, women who adopt male roles. Juvenal’s label reveals a deep-seated fear of female power and autonomy that permeated Roman society.

Some say that it exists still, this Roman patriarchy, amoungst some in the Senate.

Boudica (also spelled Boadicea or Boudicca), queen of the Iceni in Britain, provides a case study for the reception of women warriors. She encapsulated the idea of the warrior queen from the time of her revolt in the 1st century, and maintains a towering presence today. Boudica survives in the accounts of two Roman historians: Tacitus, writing in the late 1st and early 2nd century CE, and Cassius Dio, writing a century later. The authors differ in their details, but agree that Boudica unified the Britons as never before and led a revolt against the Romans in 60/61 CE. Her story creates a parallel between different views of gender equality held by the Romans and the Britons, and the dichotomies of empire and colony, power and subjugation. Boudica’s name means ‘Victory’ – but what exactly did she win?

She won, the House?

In the Roman accounts, Boudica fought for freedom from the Romans, a colonial oppressor she viewed as greedy and immoral. According to Tacitus, after the death of her husband, the client king Prasutagus, Boudica’s life took a dark turn. The Romans beat her and assaulted her daughters. They enslaved her relatives and confiscated Prasutagus’ land and ancestral wealth. Boudica’s motivations for revenge are personal, but her experiences provide a case study for the broader impact of Roman imperial expansion.

"What have the Romans ever done for us?" Of course, this is before Britain was English, or for that matter, probably before there were any Angles at all. And even if imperium triumphs in the short run, it falls eventually. Especially when they end up with a clown and an idiot as the titular head.

Original Submission